There are many known tests for determining material properties of a specimen, such as an elastomer. Some of these tests measure tack free time, adhesion and cohesion, extrusion rate, indentation hardness, adhesion-in-peel, etc. Unfortunately, many of these tests are cumbersome, inaccurate, and require significantly different test fixtures and procedures.
For example, the ASTM test for determining tack free time includes preparing a specimen of an elastomeric material and curing it for a given period of time. A strip of polyethylene plastic film is then placed on top of the specimen and held down by a brass weight for 30 seconds. The plastic film is then slowly pulled away from the specimen using the thumb and forefinger over 15 seconds. If no material remains affixed to the plastic film then the tack free time is something less than the time over which the speckmen was allowed to cure. If any material remains affixed to the plastic film, then the tack free time had not been reached and the area over which the material covers is measured and noted. This test is difficult to perform and the results are heavily subject to variances in the performance of the test.
Measuring one of the other material properties of the specimen typically requires a testing procedure and testing apparatus significantly different than that used for the tack free time test described above.
Devices exist which facilitate or simulate the determination of some material properties, but typically such a device is suitable for testing only one material property and a separate device must be employed for each different material property for which testing is to be performed. These devices are often bulky making it difficult to transport them.
It would be desirable to provide a testing device and method which is accurate and could be easily adapted to perform a variety of material tests.